Former EastEnders star Paul Nicholls has been rescued from a three-day jungle ordeal in Thailand.

The Mirror reports the 38-year-old is lucky to be alive after suffering a fall that smashed his leg.

Nicholls spent 72 HOURS trapped in a rock pool with his injuries after he plummeted from the top of a jungle waterfall, according to The Sun.

It is feared the Ackley Bridge star was trying to take a selfie at the time, but tripped and fell.

His ordeal only ended thanks to an eagle-eyed local who raised the alarm - prompting a search - when they spotted his motorbike abandoned at the beauty spot on the island of Koh Samui.

Paul Nicholls is saved

Local police were alerted by the passer-by, and a huge search to locate the actor was launched after they discovered Paul had hired the vehicle under his real name, Gerrard Paul Greenhalgh.

He had biked to the waterfall alone and appeared to be delirious with pain when he was eventually found.

Paul Nicholls in Ackley Bridge

Because he was unable to move, Paul was starving and hadn't eaten for three days.

Rescue teams spent hours hacking through undergrowth before finding him semi-conscious and suffering from hypothermia.

Paul spent three days in agony at the foot of the Khun Si falls, as he was unable to climb out of the water because of his busted right leg.

The jungle is said to be an inhospitable place, as it is infested with snakes, mosquitoes, spiders and leeches.

Hospital medics on the island last night described the actor as seriously ill after he contracted a bug during his hell; however, Paul was able to explain how lucky he was.

Speaking to the newspaper, the actor said: “I am lucky to be alive. I had a phone with me but I fell from such a height into the water it was unretrievable.

“It took such a long time to find me. It’s an understatement to say it wasn’t a great situation. It wasn’t that I was lost.

“The problem was I couldn’t move to get out of there. I’ve got a broken leg and I’m missing a kneecap. It needs complete reconstruction.”

Paul Nicholls as Joe in EastEnders

A video obtained by the paper's website showed the actor in a sorry state, being carried on a stretcher by medics and a team of rescue workers.

He can be seen hooked to a drip before being hauled up a steep path to a village, and it took two more hours for him to reach the International Koh Samui Hospital.

Speaking about his ordeal, a source close to him confirmed Paul had taken a break because he was "between filming".

However, they also said he faced a fresh struggle as he needs reconstructive surgery, but it will cost him around £90,000 to have it in Thailand.

The source confirmed the British Embassy were involved with the matter, and are hoping to get Paul to fly back to the mainland so a "proper hospital" can assess whether he's well enough to fly back to the UK to receive treatment.